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| What is woo? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 3 2009, 10:02 AM (241 Views) | |
| LeitiaRaven | Jul 3 2009, 10:02 AM Post #1 |
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The Techie Woo Fighting Warrior Princess
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Woo is pseudoscience: theories, ideas, products that don't stand up to scientific study. Homeopathy is woo. Reiki is woo. Chakras and crystals (although lovely for meditation and pretty to look at, respectively) are woo. Dang it. Folks will draw the line on what is woo at different places, so don't worry if your line is drawn differently from ours. And some woo is entirely harmless. Our beef is with dangerous woo. For example, the GFCF diet has no good studies showing it to be effective, but as long as it's a well-rounded diet where children get enough calcium, even if there's no reason to suspect a milk or wheat protein allergy, it doesn't hurt to try it. It costs a lot, it's hard to do, and the stuff tastes like cardboard, but there's no harm in trying it. So maybe not woo, or if woo, as studies are done in the future and we get the results of current studies, harmless woo. There's no doubt if there's an allergy or intolerance that it's going to help. Woo is also the technique of sellings one's ideas using dishonest techniques such as: Anecdotes that play on the fear and worry of a parent Misrepresentation of data to imply results that are false Promotion of products and/or techniques that are scientifically discredited and in some cases cause harm. Promoting mistrust of health officials by way of dramatization and emotional non factual content Using correlation to prove causation Use of studies that have been proven falsified to inflame the public Offering 'cures' for something that is not curable. Conspiracy based beliefs used to bully parents There are many persons and organizations out there that are playing on parents fears and concerns to capitalize (to generate huge profits) by offering false hope, encouraging people to view autistic persons as 'broken, persons of no value, shadows" etc, encouraging parents to feel like victims. Everyone has their own definition of what woo is. In our opinion if diet restrictions, vitamins, aromatherapy, massage etc help you and your child GREAT!! But we truly have to draw the line at anything that costs a high amount of money and relies on fear mongering and dishonest 'studies' to promote a product. And we will NOT tolerate organizations that encourage dangerous treatments that have no scientifically proven results and/or have dangerous repercussions for the 'patient'. |
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12:34 AM Jul 11